Congratulations to these great Run Well Finishers!!

Tanya Schulze recently completed her third marathon in London with a new PB!! You can see her flying through London's streets in the top pic. Not only that, but and she's following that up and joining the Run Well Crew in Berlin later this year, where another PB almost certainly is within reach!!

The Buffalo Stampede Ultramarathon took place back in April and Run Well regular Ryan Czwarno conquered this monster in 11 hours and 26 minutes, which was good enough for 16th place overall.

The 77km course began at the Bright Brewery and you might say it was all downhill from there!But you'd be wrong, with a journey up and down Mystic and Clear Spot before heading up Mt Buffalo before heading back to repeat the course and finishing up at Bright Brewery. With his previous longest run of five and half hours and 56km, this was a big step up in distance, time and elevation - the course has a crazy 4390m of climbing and 4390m of descending!

Ryan was tracking well through most of the race, sitting in 10th place after the descent down Mt Buffalo but found it tough going on the back end of the course with the steep climbs and brutal descents of Clear Spot and Mystic taking their toll.

What’s next for Ryan - he’s already set is sights on September’s Surf Coast Century 100km run. Why the Surf Coast Century? “No mountains” says Ryan, still slightly scarred from the Buffalo Stampede.

This photo of Ryan just after the race, broken but still smiling with the sponsor’s product in hand.Also worth mentioning that Ryan ( & his wife Lucy) even managed to buy a house during the race!!Now, that's impressive!!

And not to be outdone, well in distance anyway, one of our longest serving Run Well Crew members, Matt Bull took on the Oxfam TrailWalker (100km) race last month. After a long and comprehensive preparation, Matt " walked away with many unanswered questions ". Plenty in store for Matt this year it would seem, the elusive sub 3 hr marathon beckons!!

WE HAVE A COLD TUB FOR RECOVERY!Stay tuned for some key Run & Recovery Sundays to help you through your marathon training programs as we prepare for our Marathons in the coming months.Our new TREATMENT - TRAINING - RECOVERY Centre has now opened in St.Kilda. Called VERSUS, check us out here;https://versus-stkilda.com.au/

It's been more than a week since the running of the 2018 Melbourne Marathon, and I'm sure the hallmarks of this great event are still being felt across it's many runners.

As we can see from some of the pics below, this race will mean many things to different people, and some may still be bearing the scars, be it physical or perhaps mental.Well done to all those runners and volunteers out there for producing once again a spectacular event for our great city.For the Run Well crew, it was a job well done with 100% finishers from those that lined up at the start.Half of you achieved PB's on the day, which is impressive particularly given two of those backed up from Gold Coast Marathon only 3 months earlier!The biggest improver recorded a 15 minute PB as he inches towards the holy grail of a sub 3hr, which is surely his on the next time around. And yes, Andrew, you (just) need to go around once more...!!

AND SPEAKING OF GOING AROUND AGAIN, it would be rude not to. Particularly after you've done all that hard work, you wouldn't want it to go to waste now....

And if 2019 is your marathon year, start your planning now. The longer you prepare, the easier it is for your body to adapt & develop the condition you need for a great result. The better prepared you are, the better your result will be!

Run Well crew runners have achieved marathons all over the globe this year including;Disney, FloridaManchesterTokyoLondonParisMoscowPyong Yang, North KoreaBostonChicagoNYC& still to comeAntarctica ( in DEC this year)

Marathon Man !

This man Ryan McNaught celebrates his most recent marathon completion with Tracey, at Moscow in September this year. The Moscow Marathon marks Ryan's 8th completed marathon in the past 24 months since joining the Run Well crew, and his third for this year.What an incredible effort Ryan, you are a beast!

Friday morning Run Well Crew meet at 6am on Anderson Street at gate B.

Don't forget we are still firing up every Friday morning for our Interval session of:

Hills, Stairs & Track

With only 9 sessions left til we break for Xmas it's a great way to work on your running strength & speed, with a strong form focus on technique.

Hope to see you there soon!!p.s marathoners can still have a couple more weeks off!

The marathon is a unique event: it’s long enough that not only does carb loading become an important key to your success on race day, but there are several other factors that are perhaps even more important.

These relate to your running efficiency and hence your ability to conserve this valuable fuel to make it last the distance.

The human body can only store enough carbohydrate in the muscles, blood, and liver (in the form of glycogen) for roughly 20 miles or 32 kms of running, especially at more strenuous intensities.

Run out of fuel and the inevitable crash or “hitting the wall” will happen, typically around the 32-35 km mark of the race. And you don't need to speak with many marathoners to learn just how common this is.

This is why as coaches we love those sayings like; " the marathon starts at 32km", and "the half way point of the marathon is 32kms".

The goal of the first 32kms is to arrive there in good shape, and enough fuel to get us through the final 10km to a strong finish.

Apart from ensuring you have a full complement of glycogen at the start of the race ( carb loading), we also need to ensure that we are using it efficiently.

Firstly, race planning is critical so we don't start too fast and use up too much glycogen during the excitement of the first 10kms. But even more important is in our preparation and training.

We do this by training our body to become more efficient by training it to utilise less glycogen as we run. Using less glycogen occurs at lower heart rates where our body will use O2 (oxygen) & fat as it's primary fuel source.

This system of energy production is known as your aerobic energy system and when well developed appropriately, can propel you at faster and faster paces, using the same amount of effort or fuel.

And this is where HR training is so critical to your marathon success.

Here's the science...

1. - the higher our intensity of effort the more glycogen we require, and the less fat is used (&O2).

2. - Also, the longer the duration of high intensity effort, the less glycogen we have available to us as it is depleted.

The longer you go, the less glycogen you have to use. Hence a well developed aerobic energy system will conserve your glycogen for longer.

What these graphs tell us it two things;

1. In order to have enough glycogen to fuel us to the end of our marathon, we must rely on our aerobic energy system predominantly to supply enough energy to maintain our intensity and conserve our glycogen for when it is needed most, at the end of the race.

2. By training your body to produce more energy aerobically, thus more efficiently we can conserve valuable glycogen thus making it last longer. The less muscle glycogen you use, the more efficient you are!

The Physiology:

Fat is the primary fuel source of the aerobic energy system. As we develop this energy system our body learns to break down & utilise fat more efficiently. It does this by improving oxygen transportation to the muscles, increasing vascularisation ( more blood vessels= more O2), and reducing lactic acid production ( removes H+ ions quicker that want to slow us down), and importantly, developing our mitochondria within the muscle that are responsible for the energy production from fat & carbohydrate oxidation.

So, how do we do this...??

This is where monitoring your heart rate in training is so important.

Go slower to get faster!

Ideally we want to train at the peak of our aerobic threshold to maximise the benefits of aerobic training & development. Whilst this heart rate threshold can be precisely measured in a VO2 Max test, where HR & blood lactate are regularly measured during running efforts, it is easier & still very effective to use a simple formula as set out by the HR training guru, Phil Maffetone in the 180 rule.

As you become more familiar with this type of training, you will start to get a feel for precisely where this threshold is and when you cross it and observe the effects of your HR spike up abruptly. Then of course you need to slow down and get it back under control.

Over the weeks and months of this type of training, you will know your aerobic energy system is developing as your training pace increases at the same Heart Rate and effort. This is when you know you can run faster whilst still conserving valuable glycogen.

Work Intensity is directly reflected by Heart rate & to a degree Pace/Speed. Training at lower intensity, and lower speeds around your aerobic threshold will ensure you develop this system effectively.

The good news is also that when you develop this system, all of your other shorter race distances will get faster too!

So at this early stage of your marathon preparation make sure you spend more time (70-80% at least) of your training time, developing this energy system. Those that have the discipline to slow down and train aerobically for a period of time, will see great dividends down the road.

The year is well underway now, in fact it’s February already! This means it’s time to put the excuses aside, revisit those resolutions & identify your running goals for the year & start to set out a plan.

With that in mind I should just mention we have a crew of about 12 or more runners committed to the Gold Coast Marathon this year (July 1 - just 21 weeks away) if you're interested, and then of course there is Melbourne in October followed by New York in November and plenty more in between just to name a few.

Believe it or not, one of our own has ticked off 2 marathons this January; Hobart and Disney marathon in Florida ! Not only that but he’s heading to Tokyo in a couple of weeks to make it three for the year already!!

With that in mind, I thought I’d set out a few key races & run events to kelp you decide which ones you’d like to aim for and those you’ll tick off along the way to your ultimate goal for the year. Of course there's full list on the Australian Running Calendar here;

Here's but a few...

FEB 3 - VRR Tan Time Trial ; 4km, 8km First Sat every month. Great way to test yourself

FEB 18 - Muscular Dystrophy Run 4 Strength ; 10km Won by our very own Run Well runner, James Clarke!

Rip to River ; 10km Beach run from Pt Lonsdale to Ocean Grove. The first run event I ever ran ( 1988.)

As this year draws to a close, our 2017 marathon races are behind us for now, and we can sit back & relax and reflect on our achievements for the year.

We had a big year at Run Well, with some 24 runners completing their marathons all over the world from the Tokyo marathon back in February, to Paris in April and finally New York in November, and many other races including Trails, Halfs, 10k, and Park Runs in between.

The big ticket races for this year were Gold Coast in July, the AV Burnley Half Marathon ( Vic Champs) in September and of course Melbourne in October, where many, many PBs were set

In summary, we had 10 runners in the Burnley Half, and all set new PB's on their way to the Melbourne Marathon. We had 12 finishers at Melbourne this year, with 8 PB's, including 3 runners finishing in under 3 hours and some new RUN WELL PB's set this year;

You can read what some of them had to say about their Run Well experience by clicking here ;

RUN WELL RECORDS ( 2017)

FEB : James Clarke, 10km ; 37:20

SEP : Andy Ray, Burnley Half Marathon ; 1:19:51

OCT: Darren Bowden, Melbourne Marathon ; 2:55:13

2 x PB's in 2017 @ GC, MM.

new Run Well Marathon record ; 2:55:13

Congratulations to all those runners that have achieved great things this year, and some impressive new benchmarks to chase down in 2018.

Just as you reach for your second drink this Xmas, let's take a peek at what 2018 has in store, and I'm proud to announce we have some big changes at Run Well to look forward to.

Firstly, the Run Well portal that holds all of your programs, personal info & runners resources will look a bit different, as it has had a makeover! We have switched to a Google docs platform for your program docs that hopefully you will find looks more professional & prettier, but also works much better as an interactive live program.

We are very pleased to announce our new addition to the coaching fold in Ryan Mannix. Ryan has a very impressive running background ( sub 30 mins for 10km if you don't mind) and is also a yoga teacher/guru that takes running zen to w hole new level. You can read more about Ryan's story and relationship with running here.

Ryan will be joining me in coaching our next Running Technique clinic in late FEB 2018, as well as taking our new Sunset Sessions Series from Wednesday night, 28 FEB at 7pm from the St.Kilda foreshore ( meet out front of the Life Saving Club). More on that here.

As well as this we will get together for some longer Sunday morning runs followed by a cooling dip in the Bay and a bit of a group breaky. These runs will tie in with those training for upcoming marathons, with GC18 next on the Run Well list!

Stay tuned for more on that.

Ryan Mannix...yoga guru, and can run a bit.

Run Well Events;

We have added a new RUN WELL EVENTS page to the website that will feature all of your upcoming Run Well events so make sure you check in to this page to see what's in store.

Weekend Running Events & running training camps;

If you love running then we would love to offer you some running experiences that are not only steeped in running history, but also some of the most spectacular running no more than 70mins from the CBD.

For years elite runners from across the state have trained in these spectacular areas and world famous trails and have now paved the way for the recreational runner to have the same unique experience.

Stay tuned next year as we bring you some running experiences that will reinforce and build on the love of running.

From the world famous Portsea sand hills made famous by Percy Cerutty, to the soft trails that Robert De Castella and Steve Moneghetti would run around in the Sherbrooke forest, to runs on our CBD doorstep, we will be creating memorable running experiences for you to participate in.

Both Ryan & I will be taking these group running events that will cater to all levels and take your running experience to a new level. So keep an eye out for updates on our events page for these.

2018....what's your goal?

Of course it is important to set ourselves goals for 2018, so that we can be well prepared to tackle & reach those. At Run Well, we like to consider all runs but tend to focus our groups on some key events for the year. At this stage, we have some strong numbers of commitment for the following...

GOLD COAST : July 1, 2018 : We got quite a crew together for this one already. I'm looking forward to some great training runs together, Long Runs from StKilda, pre-race planning meetings, pre-race pasta feasts, and a post race celebratory get together. Can't wait. Your 20 week program starts on FEB 11, 2018.

MELB MARATHON : October 16, 2018

TOKYO MARATHON : FEB, 2019

FRIDAY MORNING RUN CLUB

Of course our regular Friday morning training session will continue as it has for about 12 years now, when my wife melissa started it way back when. I hijacked it in 2011 when she was pregnant with our first born Duke.

For those that aren't familiar, this is a high intensity Interval session, that consists of a combination of running hills, stairs and various parts around the Tan, and alternates each week with a track session across at AAMI stadium.

This session is great for strength and speed development with a strong focus on running technique & form from your coach!

COST : $10 casual, or FREE FOR MEMBERS!

RUNNING TECHNIQUE CLINIC

6 week Running Technique Clinic: Run better, Run Stronger, Run Faster. Starts early MARCH. Some have done it before, and wish to do it again. COST: $300;

$240 MEMBERS, $120 IF YOU"RE COMING BACK TO DO IT AGAIN!

2 coaches, 4 eyes, years of experience. Rohan & Ryan on hand for this one, to help you take your running to a new level for greater efficiency & economy, and better performance with reduced risk of injury.

WHEELS & DEALS

We have been working on some wheeling & dealing to bring you some great Run Well deals;

RUN WELL MEMBERSHIPS

For the first time Run Well is offering a one off membership fee that will cover all of your Friday morning training sessions, as well as a host of items, events, clinics & store discounts. With the addition of your new coach Ryan Mannix, we will be offering more great running based experiences and great training sessions as we work to establish ourselves as more than just a training centre but a great running club.

Let me tell you a little about my Yoga practise.

yoga, yoga, yoga...

For many years I wanted to do yoga, as like many men i couldn't even touch my toes. But it wasn't until i started track sprinting that I realised that the inflexibility of my back, hips, hip flexors and hamstrings was actually preventing me from striding out and sprinting properly and therefore slowing me down. This was all the motivation I needed to get started, and so i did. That was about 12 years ago and I was fortunate enough to have a great (Ashtanga) teacher who taught me well, so that I soon understood that yoga was about strength & support, creating space and lengthening, not simply stretching as I, like many believed.

Over the next 3 years practising twice per week, I learned and realised that yoga was the best adjunct to running i could have possibly asked for as the release through the back, hips & legs, and overall core strength I gained literally released the brakes that bound my running allowing me to propel my body further and faster.

Since then, yoga has been a constant companion of mine, albeit somewhat spasmodically at times ( kids will do that!), but more recently I have returned to a twice weekly practise and am loving the benefits I am feeling not just with running but my daily movements, clearer head and calmer mind.

For runners specifically, yoga will help to strengthen your core, your hips, thighs & glutes, whilst also improving your stability, balance & range of motion; all the important elements of good runners. Great for recovery too as yoga lengthens (loosens) your tight bits, giving the tight, sore muscles (& fascia) that elasticity & energy back that is so crucial to being an efficient runner.

Yes, yoga is an ancient practise that crosses many facets of our existence from the physical to the spiritual and can take many forms with lots of lovely Sanskrit names that can be quite confusing. Ashtanga, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Hatha, Flow, Power , Shadow, Hot....??

Recently I have been practising yoga at my wife's studio in St.Kilda, UP ATHLETIC located right on St.Kilda Beach. Whilst the location itself is hard to beat, the session is run by our yoga guru Dylan who describes his classes as;

Like Dylan himself this is very understated, as this is a strong practise that sometimes has elements of kung fu thrown in. Essentially it's a pretty amazing experience that you must try.

As I know the Owner at Up Athletic pretty well, I have squeezed an exclusive deal out of her for you guys, my Run Well runners.

You can join our yoga classes for $35 per week, (normally cost $22 casually for non-members) for up to 3 classes. Class times are;6 AM TUESDAY,7 PM THURSDAY, 9 AM SUNDAY. This exclusive deal will also include my FRIDAY morning running session, 6 AM at the TAN, if you don't already come to that.

Trust me, sign up for the 6 weeks ( $210) and I personally guarantee you will be feeling amazing and running better by the end.

Preparing to run the 42.195 kms to finish a marathon takes four to five months of dedicated training, a significant time commitment that alters your schedule, lifestyle, sleeping and eating habits. Such preparations also require sacrifice and support from your loved ones.

Melbourne Marathon, what a sight.

The Melbourne Marathon has become the biggest marathon in Australia with a record 6218 completing the course in 2012 and more than 35,000 entries across the four accompanying events – The Half Marathon, 10km Run and the Asics 5.7km run and 3km walk events. And best of all, you get to finish by running a lap across the hallowed turf of the iconic MCG!

Here's 6 great reasons to run the Melbourne marathon this year;

1. It will change your life. You will be tested and challenged, not only in training but mostly in the race itself. 42.2 kms is not easy for anyone.

2. There's still 21 weeks to go. Thus giving you plenty of time to prepare well & perform well! Your typical marathon training program is 16-20 weeks, so what are you waiting for?

6. Goal Setting Reaps Rewards. Running a marathon doesn't just happen. You need to commit, be motivated, set a plan, and stick to it in order to achieve your goal. Thus the sense of achievement & reward once you've completed your marathon is greater than many others due to the greater sacrifice and effort you've put in along the way.

Seriously, you won't regret it, & it will without doubt change your life. For the good, & for the better!

And when you do decide to do the marathon, then please plan & prepare early & well to ensure that your experience is a good one. If you need help with a training program to ensure you make it to the start line and finish line in good shape, I can help you.

All marathons are hard, however the hardest marathon you will ever run is the one you are least prepared for!

I've just finished reading the book, "Two Hours : the Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon" by Ed Caesar. This book is fascinating and compelling as it takes the reader on a journey into the lives of elite marathoners as he traces the history of the marathon as well as the science, physiology and psychology of running. I particularly enjoy reading about these super humans and learning of their lives, for I am forever astounded when contemplating what it must take to run that fast for that long.

WR : 2:02:57

To put it into perspective, or in normal terms; I can run a sub 3 hr marathon at about 4 min 15 s per km or slightly quicker, which puts me into a small % of finishers in a marathon field. And all of us, regardless of our own marathon pace has a sense of what that pace feels like, for that long. However, when considering the pace that elite marathoners run, which is currently 2:55 per km (world record pace), I can run 1 km at this pace ( flat out & only just), but cannot run 2 km at this pace. And these guys run this pace for 42.2km. It truly is incredible, almost unbelievable and seemingly super human.

Kipchoge, The Olympic champion with a PR of 2:03:05.

Much has been written recently about this quest as the two major footwear players in marathoning, Adidas and Nike are jostling for bragging rights as they drive the push & put up the cash to break the 2 hour barrier. In fact, each has released their own sub 2 hour shoe that will carry the successful runner to this ultimate glory. Nike will be first to the chase, as they have pulled together a team of elite (Nike sponsored) athletes to have a crack at it this weekend.

Naturally, and perhaps unfortunately the worlds best marathoners are split between the two major sponsors, with Adidas boasting the three recent record setters including the current world record holder, Denis Kimetto (Berlin 2014 2:02:57), Wilson Kipsang (2:03:23) and Patrick Makau (2:03:38) whilst Nike have the current Olympic champion and second fastest time holder (Kipchoge, London 2017 in 2:03:05) amongst others.Adidas boasting the three most recent record setters including the current world record holder, (Denis Kimetto, Berlin 2014 2:02:57) whilst Nike have the current Olympic champion and third fastest time holder (Kipchoge, 2:03:05) amongst others.

It is somewhat reminiscent of the race to break the Four Minute Mile, in 1953/54 when the two major players, Roger Bannister & our own John Landy were running their own projects on opposite sides of the globe, battling to be the first man to break the 4 minute barrier. What each man lacked were pacers to carry them fast enough & far enough through their race at the required pace, before they could launch their final assault into the final lap. No-one could come anywhere near Landy in Australia which left him hanging agonisingly close, whilst Bannister set-up the perfect controlled time trial ( not a sanctioned race) to have his pacer take him as far as he could before he too could only manage a 4:02. Whilst he didn't reach the mark then, he did however find the belief, and he eventually broke it the following year in a proper race. Landy soon followed and further trimmed the mark when he came to Europe where the competition was strong enough to push him to his limits & find the extra yards. This complete story is one of the best running books I have ever read, which I highly recommend; The Perfect Mile, Neale Bascomb.

Whilst many will debate the philosophical correctness of such a bold attempt in a totally controlled environment as opposed to a legal race, the process of the project or experiment itself is a fascinating insight into the depths of exercise science, physiology, and the physical limits of these incredible athletes to follow and observe. And whilst I don't believe the 2 hour barrier will be broken this weekend, like Roger & John in 1952, the belief and impetus will be in motion for it to be possible. Clearly, now the once unfathomable feat is in sight and it is not longer a case of 'if' but rather 'when' this will happen.